Blushing Bride
by QuasiAngel
Summary: Tired of being alone in her fiancé's house, Sakura takes to the woods and stumbles over an injured man. One Shot


"Blushing Bride"

by QuasiAngel

Disclaimer: Naruto and friends are not mine...

Notes: This is set in the future, obviously. It is a one-shot... just something to clear my mind. The Neji/Saku fic I'm working on is taking over my life.

-

Haruno Sakura had done it so many times before. On lonely nights like these, nights when her fiancé was on missions or failed to return home after a night of drinking, the 19-year-old Kunoichi would walk the woods. She would leave at the stroke of midnight, still in whatever nightly attire she had been in, and walk for hours barefoot.

She didn't have to go far. The woods were literally at the back door of the empty Uchiha compound. They looked menacing, but anything was better than the abandoned feeling she got as a result of spending too much time alone in that haunted house.

She had been living with Sasuke since he asked her to marry him 8 months ago. She accepted, obviously. Her parents and friends did not approve of her living with him before the ceremony, but she didn't listen. She packed her bags and willingly moved right in.

Her first night in her new home, he was not. That same night was the first time she went into the woods. She crept out of the house and ventured through the thick brush and green terrain hoping to clear her mind and dry her tears. She tripped over roots and walked into deep ditches that were camouflaged by high grass her first time out. Now it seemed as though she was one with the land and knew it like the back of her hand. Instead of looking at where she was going, she could focus on things like the direction of the wind, the stars in the sky, the sounds of the insects, and the smell of the forest. It made the pink haired medic-nin realize how small she really was, especially when she opted for bare feet and pajamas.

So far this night had been warm, almost hot, but as soon as her big toe crossed the thick threshold of trees, the air around her rapidly cooled down and wrapped itself around her. It was supposed to be normal for the trees to keep the area shaded from the harsh sun making it cooler, but tonight was different. The air was not cool, it was cold and her strapy silk nighty (something she bought to impress her husband-to-be) did not keep the unfamiliar chilly air away.

That wasn't the only thing that seemed off tonight. Her common sense told her to turn around, but like always her curiosity got the best of her. She walked deeper and deeper into the thick cold air and sent her chakra to her senses. The wind was strong and biting with gusts towards the northeast. The moon was veiled by low-level clouds; thick with an ominous glowing gray color to them. The bugs that usually sounded when she entered their territory were silent. Not even a cricket was heard. The deep earthy smell she always looked forward to was replaced with something thicker, more metallic.

"Blood."

She convinced herself that the smell came from a wounded animal and decided, against her best interests, to come to its aid. She focused small amounts of chakra to her nose to help her pick up the source of the smell. The chakra she sent to her ears was to help pick up the distant moans of pain she heard as she got closer.

"Male. Human," she said in a hushed whisper, "I hope he's Leaf."

She stopped abruptly when she finally saw the silhouette of the hunched figure. She watched him from a few yards away, tucked safely between two large Gingko trees. Her green eyes graced his shape slowly. The little bit of moonlight the clouds would allow helped her make out a hooded cape, arm guards, and a mask. From the looks of his attire, he was ANBU.

As if the man read her mind, he spoke, "I'm an elite ANBU from Konoha. Please, call for help."

She stayed where she was, still unsure, "Are you injured?"

"Yes," his voice was calm, but his breath was labored, "Now please, send for help."

She stepped out from behind the large trees and walked towards the wounded man, "I can help you. I'm a medic-nin; a shinobi."

He looked up from his spot on the moss-covered ground to the barely dressed pink haired ninja before him. He simply nodded.

"Where are you injured?"

He pushed his cape off of his wounded thigh. The laceration was a mere two inches from his Saphenous vein. Any closer and the wound would have been fatal.

"A kunai?"

He nodded.

She knelt down beside the ANBU to inspect the gash. It was messy and jagged; the blood glistened out of the wound like morning dew mixed with flecks of dirt. Wet crimson and dried burnt-umber mixed with black fabric and creamy white skin.

"It looks like you've been bleeding for more than an hour. How long have you traveled with this?" she asked as she carefully removed the intrusive clothe of his pants away from the wound.

He raised his head, possibly to look at her, "An hour."

"It looks like the skin has been torn. You know that it has done more harm than good by traveling?"

"Yes," he said simply.

"How did it happen?"

"I can't tell you," he said simply.

She tucked her hair expertly behind her ear without getting blood on her face or in her pink tresses, "Where is your squad?"

"Gone. I told them not to wait for me."

"Why?"

"I didn't think that it was this bad and I decided to rest. I told them I would catch up with them at ANBU headquarters. That was almost an hour ago," he hissed when she peeled back that cloth that was stuck to his skin, "How long is this going to take? I have to report back."

She looked up at him only to be met by his mask in the form of a weasel's face, "I don't think you'll be going anywhere but the med building when I am done with you."

"You are only a Chuunin, possibly Jounin. You have no right to tell me what to do," his voice was arduous and harsh.

"I'm a Jounin. And yes, I do," she smiled at him, unscathed by his cruel statement, "Doctor's orders."

He stayed silent and let her work.

First, she delivered a chakra-induced sedative for his pain. Next, the remaining tattered rags were removed from inside and around his cut. She then drew more blood to the surface to remove any debris, and then proceeded to wipe away the excess blood with the corner of his cape.

"I'm going to start healing the torn muscles and close the wound. Please don't move too much."

He nodded.

Both her right and left hand exploded in a blue flash of light. It was quickly reduced to a glow around both her left and right hands. Tiny strands of chakra dove into the opening and started to sew his severed muscles back together.

"What's your name?"

She was startled by his question. Not many of her patience, especially ANBU, ask her for her name. She swallowed, "Haruno Sakura."

"Sakura," he let it roll like a velvet wave over his tongue, "Beautiful. It suits you."

She strategically shook her head so her hair fell back around her face, hiding her blush.

"Aren't you going to ask me my name?"

"I wasn't planning on it," she peeked at him, "What is it?"

"I can't tell you."

Even though she couldn't see his face, she could hear the smirk in his voice, "Of course you can't."

"May I ask you a question, Sakura?" the way he said her name this time made it sound almost dirty, almost sexual.

She looked up at him, not bothering to answer.

"What are you doing out this late in the middle of the woods half naked?"

"That's no concern of yours," she smirked, "Now may I ask you a question?"

"Please do."

"Do you realize that you and your squad are trespassing? This is Uchiha property."

He leaned in a bit to get closer to her, "I should say the same for you. Your surname isn't Uchiha."

She shot him a glare.

"Is it?"

"It will be. I am Uchiha Sasuke's fiancé."

He sat back and laughed. It came out as a deep rumble pitted in his chest and it spewed out of his mouth, rolling over her body, "What would a girl like you want with an Uchiha?"

"Love," she said simply.

He laughed a bit harder and his cackle hugged her this time, "Love? Uchiha Sasuke doesn't love anything."

"You know him?"

He stopped, "Indirectly."

The flow of chakra coming from her hands stopped immediately and the anesthetic went with it. She smirked as the ANBU deservingly shudder, "Then how would you know if he loved anything?"

"Call it intuition," he tilted his head, "But tell me, has he told you that he loves you?"

She just stared.

"I assume he hasn't."

"Our relationship is none of your business," she said with a small venomous voice.

"He doesn't deserve you, you know," he said quietly.

"I know."

"Then why are you going to marry him?" he drew out his question.

"Because he's the only thing I know," she answered immediately.

It was a cryptic statement, but he understood. He left it at that.

She reactivated her chakra immediately worked on his injured leg as quickly as possible. She finished the insides and started work on the outside. They were silent for what seemed like hours, the only thing heard was the wind in the trees and the sound of her healing hands. When she was finished, she was tired and bloody, "May I?" she asked, holding up her hands and motioning to his cape.

"Be my guest."

She wiped the blood on his cape, desperately trying to remove the color and smell from her delicate hands, "You lost a lot of blood. You should still go to the hospital. You might need a transfusion," she said, her tone dry.

"Thank you, Sakura. If it wasn't for you I might have bled to death."

She finally smiled; the smile she usually did when after she saved someone's life, "It's funny how I seemed to stumble over you tonight. Looks like luck has really fallen into your lap. Wouldn't you agree?"

"I'd call it fate."

She avoided his comment and his covered face as she attempted to stand up. He didn't let her. His gloved hand wrapped around her wrist. His clawed fingers dug gently into her ivory skin.

"Sakura."

"I-I should go. He might come home soon."

"Do you don't really believe that?"

"Believe what?" she looked at the slits in his mask, trying desperately to see him.

"That he is coming home tonight."

She looked to the direction of her home, "No, but I can't stay out here."

"Don't leave, not yet. I have something I would like to give you. Kind of like a repayment. It could also double as a wedding gift."

"What's that?"

"A kiss."

She gasped and tried again to escape his grip, "No no no. No! You don't need to repay me. Besides, I'm engaged."

He held onto her arm, "It would be like a kiss between friends. Nothing romantic. Nothing sexual. Please, I feel obliged to thank you and it's all I can give to you right now."

"It's my job to heal people. You don't have to thank me."

"Please," he positioned himself on his knees, "I will leave my mask off. I let you see my face. Maybe I'll even tell you my name. I can tell you are curious as to who I am."

"No- I," she attempted to pry his fingers away, but failed.

"Please, Sakura. Let me kiss you," as he made his request again, a warm air enwrapped her body, smoothing the goose bumps on her skin.

"O-okay," she sat back down and relaxed her capture arm, "Just one."

"Close your eyes and just relax," he said it in a tone of voice that was hypnotizing.

She wanted him to stop, but she didn't. She tried to tell him no, but she couldn't. It was as if his hypnotic voice and the warm air that suddenly encircled her had willed her to do it. Her body relaxed and her arms and her eyelids dropped in unison.

The ANBU crawled as close to Sakura as he could and sat back on his heels. She heard the sounds of his hood being pushed back, his mask being pulled off and placed on the ground beside him, and the intake of breath before he gently cupped both sides of her face. His hands were warm and tender as he brushed the pink strands of hair away from her face and tilted her head to the side. He didn't kiss her right away. Instead he just looked at her, he looked into her, so deep she could feel it.

Then he finally, without hesitation, he pulled her face to his and placed his warm lips to hers and gave her a chaste kiss.

"Sakura," he whispered against her cheek and kissed her again, and again, and again. He kissed her forehead, her cheeks, the tip of her nose, her chin; each touch sent searing heat through her body, warming her from the inside.

At last, he was back to her lips.

His kiss was both gentle and intense; wet, but not sloppy. His soft tongue ran along the crevice of her parted lips and entered. He was gentle and timid at first, only allowing his tongue to peek in and out. Then his need and desire to devour her took control and he dove deeper. He wasn't given much time to explore as she immediately responded and her tongue danced with his. She took another intuitive and expertly slipped her tongue in his mouth, following the same dance.

The whole time, her arms remained limp by her side, but his were not. His left hand buried itself deep into her hair as his right caressed her red-hot cheek.

Finally he broke their oral connection and replaced her lips with her chin. His hot mouth then made its way down her neck leaving a trail of butterfly kisses and love bites in his wake.

She fought desperately to hold in the longing moans that attempted to escape from her swollen mouth and finally failed. She lets out a deep growl and in return he bit down hard on her earlobe.

She gasped and woke up from her trance, breathless. It took her a moment to gather her thoughts and realize what was happening. When she did, she grabbed his forearms and whispered into his ear, "Please, stop. Please. If he finds out, he'll kill me."

He placed one last kiss on her cheek and backed up, "As you wish."

She opened her eyes and finally saw the man before her. His hair was jet black and pulled back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. Chunks that wouldn't fit framed his face, casting a dark shadow over his pale skin. And more importantly, the part of his face she wanted to desperately to see, his eyes, were hidden. She became desperate and reached out to him, tilting his head up with her index and middle fingers. Two red and black eyes stared deeply at her...

"Itachi?"

He held out his clawed glove to her, "Nice to meet you."

Her voice was gone and her knees were rubber. She willed her body to flee, but the only thing she managed to do was crawl backwards. Now she was wedged between him and a Ginkgo tree.

"From your reaction, I presume my brother has only told you bad things about me. That's very unfair, don't you think, Sakura-chan?"

Her fear pooled into her eyes like the opening of floodgates when she saw those lips say her name. The same lips that had just ravaged her a moment ago like no man ever had. Like Sasuke never had.

"Itachi, please. Please don't kill me," she tried to shimmy her body up the moss-covered tree, but failed and slid back down the slippery surface.

"Kill you?" he crawled on the ground to get a bit closer to her. Once he could feel her ragged breath on his neck, he placed his hands on either side of her thighs and leaned his face towards her right ear, "The reason for this trip was not to kill you, my dear. I heard Sasuke was getting married and I merely wanted to see the beautiful creature that has caught my little brother's eye."

She winced as he caressed her earlobe with the tip of his nose.

"I do hope you have a blissful life together. I regret that I cannot make it to the ceremony, obviously. And may I make a request? For your sake, of course."

"Wh-what?"

"Make sure Sasuke trains hard. I wouldn't want to see you in a widow's gown," he kissed her cheek and was on his feet, "I don't believe black would suit you."

He grabbed the hem of his cape, ripped it off, and he was gone... and she was alone again.

End.

-

Yeah- hope it was good. I also hope I kept Itachi believable. I think so.

And believe it or not, this little tiny fic took me 3 weeks! Can you believe it? I didn't think it would have taken that long... So I doubt I will make a sequel. If I did, it would probably be smutty and I don't think I am a good smut writer.


End file.
